Strategy Implementation; meaning nature and barriers of strategic

implementation – A model strategic implementation - three themes, UNIT 3:

activating strategies: project implementation, procedural implementation,
resource allocation – Managing change theme: Structural implementation: STRATEGIC
Reviewing organizational structure, Entrepreneurial, Functional, IMPLEMENTATION
divisional, SBU, matrix structures, Network, other types of structures.
Managing structure and control to strategies.
Before you can implement your strategy, you need to create a strategic plan.

Your strategic or implementation plan outlines the steps your team or organization needs to take in
order to achieve a goal or objective. Your implementation plan is the roadmap to a successful strategy
execution and should include the following steps:

1.Define your goals

2.Conduct proper research

3.Map out any risks

4.Schedule all milestones

5.Assign tasks

6.Allocate helpful resources

Step 1: Set and communicate clear, strategic
goals
The first step is where your strategic plan and
your strategy implementation overlap.
To implement a new strategy, you first must
identify clear and attainable goals. As with all
things, communication is key. Your goals should
include your vision and mission statements,
long-term goals, and KPIs.
The clearer the picture, the easier the rest of your
strategy implementation will be for your team
and organization—simply because everyone will
be working towards the same goals.
Step 2: Engage your team
To implement your strategy both effectively and efficiently, you need to create focus and
drive accountability. There are a few ways in which you can keep your team engaged
throughout the implementation process:
•Determine roles and responsibilities early on. Use a RACI matrix to clarify your
teammate’s roles and ensure that there are no responsibility gaps.

•Delegate work effectively. While it can be tempting to have your eyes on everything,
micromanagement will only hold you back. Once you’ve defined everyone’s roles and
responsibilities, trust that your team will execute their tasks according to the
implementation plan.

•Communicate with your team and ensure that everyone knows how their individual work
contributes to the project. This will keep everyone motivated and on track.
Step 3: Execute the strategic plan
Allocate necessary resources—like funding for strategic or operational budgets—so your
team can put the strategic plan into action. If you don’t have the right resources you
won’t be able to achieve your strategic plan, so this should be a top priority.

•Start with the end in mind to effectively align your project’s objectives, key
deliverables, milestones, and timeline.

•Identify available resources like your team’s capacity, your available budget, required
tools or skills, and any other unconventional resources

•Define a clear project scope so you know exactly what your project needs when.

•Share your project plan with everyone involved in the implementation process using a
work management tool.
Step 4: Stay agile
You’ll inevitably run into issues as you begin implementing your strategy. When this
happens, shift your goals or your approach to work around them.
Create a schedule so you can frequently update the status of your goals or
implementation strategy changes.

Depending on the strategy you’re implementing, you can create weekly, monthly, or
quarterly project status reports. Share these updates with your external stakeholders,
as well as your internal team, to keep everyone in the loop.

Having a central source of truth where you can update your team in real time will
help you streamline this process.
Step 5: Get closure

Once you implement the strategy, connect with everyone involved to confirm that
their work feels complete. Implementing a strategy isn’t like a puzzle that’s finished
when the last piece is set. It’s like planting a garden that continues to grow and change
even when you think you’re done with your work.

Getting closure from your team will be the second to last milestone of your strategy
implementation and is a crucial step toward completion.

Step 6: Reflect

Conduct a post-mortem or retrospective to reflect on the implemented strategy, as well

as evaluate the success of the implementation process and the strategy itself. This step
is a chance to uncover lessons learned for upcoming projects and strategies which will
allow you to avoid potential pitfalls and embrace new opportunities in the future.
Lack of Commitment
One of the biggest barriers to effective strategy implementation is a lack of engagement to the
strategic plan from leadership and employees. Without complete buy-in, it will be near impossible for an
organization to follow through on the actions needed.Senior leadership must demonstrate their dedication
through both words and actions. They need to communicate the strategic priorities constantly and lead by
example in focusing their own efforts to advance the plan.

Employees will take their cues from the top - if leadership is not fully onboard, why should the rest of the
company be? It's also important for leaders to avoid a "check the box" mentality when it comes to
strategic planning. While developing the plan requires significant effort, implementation demands
sustained dedication over an extended period.

Leaders must be willing to dedicate ongoing time and resources to ensuring the strategy's success rather
than moving on to the next initiative. To gain responsibility across all levels, the strategic planning process
itself should engage employees. Involvement builds an understanding of why certain priorities have been
set and a sense of contribution to the end goals.

It helps employees feel invested in the strategy's success.The best leaders approach implementation with
evangelism, constantly communicating progress and emphasizing how individual roles connect to the
overall vision. Their passion is contagious in driving devotion from others.
Poor Alignment with Organizational Structure and Culture
A strategic plan will also flounder if there is misalignment with how an organization structures itself or the cultural
norms that have developed. These act as barriers when they do not fully support what the strategy requires.

Assessing organizational fit should be part of strategy formulation. Leaders need to determine whether the current
structure and processes will allow for efficient execution. Some level of realignment may be needed, such as
reorganizing teams or centralizing certain functions to streamline decision-making.

Cultural norms can be more deeply ingrained and challenging to shift. Leaders must identify what values already
exist that could help or hinder the strategy's success. An assessment can uncover assumptions, behaviors or risk
appetites that may clash.

For instance, a strategic shift toward more aggressive growth targets could foster a risk-averse culture. Changing
ingrained mindsets requires clear communication of "the why" behind cultural shifts and leadership modeling of
new behaviors. It may take time to gain acceptance of adjustments to long-standing ways of working.

With both structure and culture, an incremental approach is wise. Asking for too much change too quickly risks
destabilizing the organization when what is needed most is stability to focus on execution. Leaders should
prioritize the most urgent areas of misalignment to address while maintaining functionality elsewhere. Gains over
time through consistent reinforcement can achieve the necessary evolution.
Unrealistic Objectives and Deadlines

Perhaps the surest way to doom a strategic plan is by establishing goals that are simply
unattainable based on the organization's capabilities and market realities. Unrealistic
objectives set the business up for certain failure and damage credibility in the process.
They also frustrate employees tasked with achieving the impossible. The solution lies in
setting specific, measurable and time-bound (SMART) goals that strike a balance between
ambition and achievability.
Objectives should stretch the organization without being so aggressive that they become
meaningless. Likewise, the timelines allotted for deliverables need to allow for probable
challenges or setbacks rather than assuming a perfectly straight path. Establishing this
balance requires a hard look inward during strategic planning.
Leaders need honesty about existing resources, competencies, competitive strengths and
weaknesses. They must also factor in external risks and uncertainties that could affect
outcomes in any time period.
Scenario planning helps evaluate a range of possible scenarios to set responsible
targets.Goals should also have interim milestones to track progress, not just end dates. This
enables course corrections as needed if realities diverge from initial assumptions.
Linking incentives and accountability to milestones rather than just overall targets further
motivates high performance throughout implementation.
Lack of Coordination and Communication

Even when an organization has full alignment, resources and realistic objectives in place, the
sheer complexity of implementing multiple strategic initiatives risks a lack of coordination as a
barrier. Separate programs proceed independently rather than as an integrated whole.
To prevent this, establishing clear governance, coordination mechanisms and communication
channels across all programs is vital. Strategic execution requires cooperation and alignment of
effort as much as engagement to individual duties.
Program and project management best practices support this need. Methods like regular
executive-level oversight, cross-functional teams owning integration points and centralized
work management platforms help break down silos.
Communication keeps all teams continually updated on dependencies, shifts and inter-
relationships so everyone understands their piece of the larger puzzle and can adjust
accordingly. Regular reporting on progress, issues and resolution provides visibility and
accountability too.
Top-down communication is also crucial for cascading priorities and rationales throughout the
organization. Two-way communication collects frontline intelligence to identify weaknesses or
opportunities in real-time for course corrections. Change fatigue necessitates concise,
meaningful updates rather than overload.
With proper coordination, efforts across an organization synergize much more than their
individual parts. Leaders must ensure information and effort flow as smoothly as capital to
maximize strategic execution.
Resistance to Change

Finally, as any strategic transformation aims to evolve an organization in some way, it meets
the inherent resistance to change that exists in many people. Fear of the unknown, disruption
to existing routines, perceived threats to job security - these can hamper buy-in or outright
derail implementation.
To counteract change resistance, communication again plays a key role. Leaders must clearly
articulate the rationale for change through its connection to strategic imperatives and
intended benefits.
They need to acknowledge honest concerns and alleviate uncertainties where possible
Training supports adaptation to change with skills development and vision for future roles.
Leaders can also dampen resistance by granting employees genuine participation in shaping
how changes are managed where practical.Rather than battling change resistance directly, the
wisest approach circumvents it.
Leaders can build momentum and social proof by engaging early volunteers and eagerly
championing a vision for success. Their passion is contagious to the unsure middle, lessening
room for negativity to take hold.
Gradual pacing of change with intermediate goals also makes transformation less daunting by
breaking it into smaller, more manageable steps. Consistency and follow-through reinforce
that the change agenda is here to stay. The goal is a smooth evolution with people, not a
forced revolution against them.
Strategic implementation is about converting strategic plans into actions and results. This model
organizes implementation around three key themes, each with a specific set of activating
strategies to make the strategy operational and effective.
Theme 1: Project Implementation
Project implementation is the execution of strategy through focused, structured, and time-bound
projects. It ensures that strategic goals are not just theoretical, but executed through clear
initiatives.
Activating Strategies:
1.Project Planning
1. Breakdown strategic objectives into specific, achievable projects.
2. Use tools like Gantt charts, project charters, and work breakdown structures.

2.Task Assignment & Role Clarity

1. Allocate specific tasks to individuals or teams.
2. Clearly define roles and responsibilities to prevent overlaps or gaps.

3.Setting Milestones & Timelines

1. Establish key performance milestones.
2. Assign realistic deadlines to each phase of the project.
Project Monitoring & Control
•Use KPIs and progress reports to track project performance.
•Conduct regular review meetings.
Risk Management
•Identify potential barriers or risks.
•Develop mitigation strategies in advance.
Feedback Loops & Adjustments
•Incorporate learnings and stakeholder feedback into ongoing implementation.
•Adjust project parameters when necessary.
Theme 2: Procedural Implementation Change Management
1. Prepare the organization for changes
Definition:
in structure, culture, or systems.
Procedural implementation ensures that strategy is 2. Use change models (like Kotter’s 8-
embedded into daily operations through systems, Step Model) to drive transition.
procedures, and organizational processes. Performance & Appraisal Systems
3. Link employee goals and evaluation
Activating Strategies: criteria to strategic goals.
4. Include strategy-aligned metrics in
Policy Development performance reviews.
Update or create policies that reflect the strategic Compliance & Quality Assurance
direction. 5. Ensure all new processes comply with
Align company policies with long-term objectives. internal and external standards.
6. Introduce quality control mechanisms
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support strategic adherence.
Modify workflows to accommodate new strategies.
Ensure operational processes support strategic
outcomes.

Governance & Oversight

Establish steering committees or strategy governance
boards.
Assign authority for strategic monitoring and
escalation.
Theme 3: Resource Allocation

Definition: Time & Capacity Management

1. Free up time for staff to focus on
Resource allocation ensures the strategic distribution of strategic work.
financial, human, and technological resources where 2. Avoid overburdening teams with non-
they are most needed to execute the strategy. strategic tasks.
Activating Strategies: Incentives & Rewards
3. Allocate bonuses or recognition to
Budget Alignment teams contributing directly to strategic
Prioritize financial investment toward strategic goals.
projects. 4. Use resource-based motivation to drive
Conduct cost-benefit analysis to justify allocations. performance.
Opportunity Cost Assessment
Human Resource Planning 5. Evaluate what other initiatives may be
Deploy skilled employees to strategic roles. delayed or dropped.
6. Make strategic trade-offs when
Hire or train employees to meet emerging needs.
resources are limited.
Technology & Infrastructure Support
Invest in digital tools or physical infrastructure
that enable strategic execution.
Ensure tech upgrades support planned initiatives.
 Managing change theme: structural implementation
Structural implementation is about aligning the organization’s structure with its
strategic goals. When an organization embarks on a strategic change, the existing
structure may need to evolve to better support new directions, processes, and goals.
1. Reviewing Organizational Structure

Before implementing structural change, it's essential to:

• Analyze the current structure to identify inefficiencies or misalignments with strategy.

• Assess flexibility for future growth and adaptability.

• Determine the best structure based on strategic goals, scale, and environment.

Review factors:
• Decision-making authority (centralized vs. decentralized)

• Coordination and communication flow

• Responsiveness to external change

• Strategic fit
2. Types of Organizational Structures Divisional Structure
•Characteristics:
Each structure serves different strategic needs.
• Organized around products, markets, or
Choosing the right one is vital for successful strategy
execution. geographies
• Each division operates semi-
Entrepreneurial Structure autonomously
•Best for: Diversified companies with multiple
• Characteristics: product lines or markets
• Simple, flat hierarchy •Challenges: Duplication of resources,
• Centralized decision-making (usually with founder/CEO) potential internal competition
• Informal communication and flexible roles
Strategic Business Unit (SBU) Structure
• Best for: Startups, small businesses, innovative
•Characteristics:
environments • Divisions grouped into SBUs based on
• Challenges: Limited scalability, over-reliance on strategic similarity
• Each SBU operates with strategic
one person
independence but reports to corporate HQ
Functional Structure •Best for: Large, complex organizations
managing multiple strategic business areas
• Characteristics: •Challenges: Requires sophisticated
• Organization divided by functions (e.g., Marketing, HR, coordination, risk of inconsistent policies
Finance)
• Specialization and operational efficiency

• Best for: Stable environments with narrow product

lines
Challenges: Poor interdepartmental coordination,
silo mentality
Matrix Structure
• Characteristics:
• Dual reporting (e.g., by function and product)
• Combines functional and project-based approaches

• Best for: Dynamic environments requiring resource sharing and flexibility

• Challenges: Role confusion, power struggles, complex communication

Network Structure
• Characteristics:
• Highly decentralized, built on partnerships and outsourcing
• Core company controls strategic decision-making, other functions outsourced

• Best for: Agile companies focused on core competencies

Challenges: Dependence on external parties, control issues

Other Emerging Structures

• Team-based structures: Project or cross-functional teams

• Process-based structures: Organized around end-to-end processes

• Virtual organizations: Operate primarily online or remotely

• Holacracy/Flatarchy: Self-managed teams without traditional hierarchy

3. Managing Structure and Control to Strategies
5. Coordination and Communication
Strategic success depends on fit between strategy,
1. Complex strategies often require more
structure, and control systems.
integration (use of liaison roles,
Principles:
integrators, cross-functional teams).
1.Strategic Alignment: Structure must reflect the
strategic orientation (e.g., innovation, efficiency, 6. Performance Measurement
customer intimacy). 2. Align evaluation systems (e.g., Balanced
2.Flexibility & Responsiveness: Adaptive Scorecard, MBO) with structural units
structures (like matrix or network) support
strategies requiring innovation or responsiveness to and strategic outcomes.
change.
7. Change Management in Structure
3.Control Mechanisms: Use formal controls (rules, 1. Communicate structural changes clearly.
procedures, KPIs) and informal controls (culture, 2. Train leaders and staff for new roles and
leadership) based on structure type. responsibilities.
3. Monitor impacts and adjust based on
4.Decentralization vs. Centralization feedback.
1. Decentralized structures enable local
responsiveness.
2. Centralized control supports cost efficiency
and consistency.